Kemi Badenoch and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: GETTY)

       With Rishi Sunak gearing up for crunch local elections which will surely serve as a litmus test for his popularity, one strategist has issued a surprising prediction about who may succeed him as leader of the Conservative Party - as well as ruling one person completely.

       The Prime Minister, whose party is lagging behind Labour in the polls, is doubtless hoping Thursday’s elections will offer him an opportunity to get a foothold.

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       However, with most pundits predicting the Tories will lose around half of the seats they currently hold on English local councils, talk is inevitably turning to who might be in the frame should Mr Sunak be axed - either before or after a general election which is almost certain to be held before the end of the year.

       Kemi Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, is currently bookmakers’ favourite, with William Hill offering odds of just 5/2.

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       Nevertheless, Mark Littlewood, chairman of right-wing Tory faction Popular Conservatism (PopCon), remains unconvinced.

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       Liz Truss, pictured at the launch of the Popular Conservatism movement earlier this year (Image: Getty)

       He told Express.co.uk: “I’m pretty sure Liz will not have another tilt at the leadership, I’m pretty certain of that.

       “You probably expect me to say this, even if I was lying, but I don't have a standard bearer in mind.

       “I mean, I look at the bookies odds and you can see Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt are pretty quite short odds, as is Suella.

       “But there are two points I'd like to make I think that were Rishi Sunak to lose the election and the Conservative Party to be in opposition, the message has got to be much more radical and reforming as it was over Brexit.

       Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, is also frequently named as a possible Tory leader (Image: Getty)

       “I hope Rishi Sunak can become a bit more of a radical reformer before the election because I think that would enormously improve his chances.

       “But if we do find ourselves in the unfortunate scenario that we're in opposition, we need to be radical and reforming.”

       Mr Littlewood continued: “But the other thing I would point out is, people say that the Conservative leadership elections are always won by the underdog.

       “That's not quite true but it's often won by somebody who was a 50-1 shot six or eight months out.

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       Margaret Thatcher came from nowhere to be elected Tory leader in 1974, Mr Littlewood pointed out (Image: Getty)

       “In fact, if you look back to the October 1974 general election, which I rewatched on television about a year ago when they repeated general election coverage, Margaret Thatcher was 50-1 to be the next Conservative Party leader.

       “Six or eight months later, she was. I think there's probably a disadvantage in being the favourite, which I feel for Kemi about because I'm very fond of her and think she’s terrific.

       “But almost anything she says is now interpreted through the lens of her being the bookies’ favourite for the leadership.”

       Mr Littlewood did not believe there would be a leadership election prior to the general election, arguing that pulling the plug on Mr Sunak would be “crazy”.

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       He continued: “We've got to support Rishi in every way we can but afterwards, I think it needs to be somebody with a real radical plan if we are in opposition.

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       “And we should look right down the list. I think there are candidates that we wouldn't have imagined yet.

       “Indeed, last time, Kemi Badenoch didn't win but she made one hell of a splash and she came completely out of nowhere.

       “She would have been 50 or 100-one before she threw her hat in in the ring.”

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